Control mechanism for mining trucks



June 5, 1934. w s 1,961,977

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR MINING TRUCKS Filed July 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIEIITHIIIM Patented June 5, 1934 CONTROL MECHANISM FOR MINING TRUCKS Joe L. Lewis, Cardinal, Ky,

Application July 14, 1932, Serial No. 622,530 3 Claims. (01. 192-13) This invention relates to mine cars or locomotives.

An object of this invention is to provide in a a positive clutching means for the mine car, the

clutching means being associated with the winding drum.

provide a positive clutching means which may be operated when the loaded car is going up a hill to prevent undue strain or slipping of the conventional friction clutch.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described and in part be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:--

Figure l is a fragmentary detail side elevation of a conventional mine car having a device constructed according to the preferred embodiment of this invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken through the device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view partly in detail taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view partly in detail taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter F designates generally the frame of a mine car or 10- comotive which is provided with conventional wheeled trucks T for runn ng on a rail R. In mine constructions where the tunnel is extended for a considerable distance at a relatively rapid rate, it is frequently impractical to extend the operation of the electrically operated railway car or locomotive comprising the frame F and the trucks T which are operated by a conventional power member in the form of a motor (not shown) A truck drive shaft 10, which is provided at each end with sprockets 11, and which has a chain or flexible member 12 trained thereover, is adapted to drive the car from the power means (not shown).

A driving worm 13 is rotatably mounted in a housing 14 disposed about the shaft 10 and a worm gear 15 is secured to a hollow driving member 16 which is rotatably disposed about the drive shaft 10. Bushings 17 are interposed between the hollow driving member 16 and the shaft 10 so that the driving member 16 can rotate relative to the shaft 10. A positive or toothed clutch head 18 is secured to or formed with the driving member 16 and is disposed exteriorly of the housing 1 i and is mounted concentrically about the shaft 10 and provided at one end thereof with clutch faces 19.

A sliding toothed clutch member 20 is mounted on the shaft 10 and is held against rotation by means of a key 21 and this toothed clutch member 20 is provided with a grooved collar 22 which is adapted to be engaged by a clutch operating cam 23. The clutch cam 23 is supported by a bearing 24 carried by a cross bar 25 extending between the frame members F, and a clutch leplate 28 carried by one side of the frame F, and a secondbearing plate 29 engages the hub 30 of a drum 31 which is disposed about the shaft 10, and this drum 31 is rotatable relative .to the shaft 10 but is secured to the driving member 16 by means of a cylindrical coupling 32.

A friction clutch or drum housing 33 is disposed about the friction clutch drum 31 and a plurality of clutch members or shoes 34 are disposed within the friction drum 31. These clutch members or shoes 34 are constructed in the form of segmental members and arepart of a conventional friction clutch mechanism and are shown and is heldagainst rotation with respect thereto by a key but is permitted to have slidable movement relative tothis shaft 10. The clutch collar or shoe operating member 59 is connected to each shoe by means of a link 61 so that these shoes 34 can be moved toward or away from the cylindrical portion of the drum 31 on movement of this clutch operating member 59. The member 59 is moved into operation or into inoperative position by means of a forked rock lever 62 carried by the housing 33, and a lever 63 is pivotally carried by the housing 33 at the top thereof, and is operatively connected with this forked rock lever 62.

A brake band or drum 64 is fixedly carried by the housing 33 and extends within the segmental shoe members 34 and is adapted to be engaged by these members on outward movement of the collar 59. Through the provision of this brake drum 64, the lever 63 can be used for either a braking means or a means to connect the drive shaft 16 with the driving member 16 so that the drive shaft 10 will be operated with this friction clutch mechanism.

Inasmuch as this friction clutch mechanism is a conventional mechanism and shown here only for the purposes of illustration, it is believed a further description thereof is unnecessary.

A cable winding reel, generally designated as 35, is secured to a shaft 36 which is journaled in bearings 37 carried or supported by L-shaped brackets 38 secured to the frame members F in upstanding relation to the frame F. This winding drum or reel 35 is disposed rearwardly of the car driving mechanism hereinbefore described and the winding reel 35 is adapted to receive a two-wire cable 39 thereabout. The winding drum 35 has secured thereto a pulley 40 and a belt or flexible member 41 is trained over this pulley 40 and is also trained over a pulley 42 secured to the coupling 32 on the driving member 16 so that when the driving member 16 rotates, the power will be transmitted through the belt 41 to the pulley 40. Preferably, this belt 41 is of a length such that normally when the driving pulley 42 rotates, the belt 41 will be loose and will not move with this pulley 42.

An idler pulley 43 is rotatably carried by an arm 44 which is rockably mounted on an upstanding bracket 45 secured to one side of the frame F. A lever 46 is secured to a bolt 47 engaging the rock arm 44 so that as this bell crank lever 46 is rocked, the arm 44 will be rocked and the idler pulley 43 carried into or out of engagement with the belt 41. In this manner, when it is desired to rotate the drum 35, the lever 44 can be rocked upwardly so as to lower the pulley or idler 43 and the weight of this idler 43 is SllffiClGIlt to cause the belt 41 to rotate about the pulley 42 and also rotate the pulley 40. The drum or reel 35 comprises a pair of end plates 48 and 48 which are secured to the shaft 36 and a pair of insulating sleeves 49 and 50 are disposed loosely about the shaft 36 and bolts 51 extend through the pulley 40, and the ends 48 and 48 and are in terposed between the concentrically disposed tubular members 49 and 50.

A ,fiber disk or plate 52 is secured to the end plate 48 and this disk carries an annular contact 53 which is connected to one of the wires in the cable 39. A wiper or fixed contact 54 is mounted on a block 55 and this wiper is connected to one side of a takeoff socket 56 mounted in the block 55. In this manner, the electric power in the cable 39 may be connected to a nipping machine or other mechanical devices used in connection with the mining operation. The other wire in the cable 39 is connected to the end 43 of the drum 35, as at 57, and as the metal parts, including the frame F, shaft 36 and the brackets 38, are grounded to the rails R, the electric circuit to the cable 39 is completed.

In the use and operation of this device, the worm 13 can be operated by the conventional power means for the car or locomotive and when this worm 13 rotates, the worm gear 15 will also rotate and will carry therewith the driving sleeve or member 16. Where the load of the car is not unduly heavy or where the pull, as going uphill, is not unduly great, the clutch operating lever 63 can be rocked so as to engage the clutching members 34 with the friction of the drum 31. However, if the pull is such as to cause a slippage between the drum 31 and the shoe members 34, the lever 26 can be rocked so as to move the clutch element 20 into engagement with the clutch head 13. With the toothed clutch elements 19 and 20 engaged with each other, the driving member 16 is positively connected with the shaft 10 so that there will be no slippage in the driving means. Inasmuch as the driving member 16 rotates at all times, when the worm 13 and the gear 15 are rotating, the pulley 42 will also rotate at all times.

Therefore, if either the friction clutch mechanism or the toothed clutch mechanism is in clutching position, the winding of the reel 35 can be coupled by rocking the idler pulley 43 into engagement with the belt 41. If it is desired to operate the winding drum 35 without movement of the car, the friction clutch lever 63 and the toothed clutch lever 26 can be rocked into released position, and the idler pulley 43 can then be swung into engagement with the belt 41.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the winding reel 35 can be operated independently of the movement of the mine car or can be operated simultaneously with the movement either forward or reverse of the car.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a car as set forth including a frame and wheels rotatably carried by the frame, a tubular drive shaft, a driven shaft rotatable within the drive shaft, means for rotating the wheels from the driven shaft, a housing disposed about the drive shaft adjacent one end, a friction clutch drum secured to the drive shaft and rotatable in the housing, clutch elements in the housing, a slide mounted on the driven shaft and connected to the clutch elements and adapted upon movement in one direction to move the clutch elements into clutching engagement with the drum and upon movement in the opposite direction to move the clutch elements into declutching position, a slide operating means, a brake drum in the housing concentric to the clutch drum and spaced therefrom, brake means carried by the clutch elements and movable into released position upon movement of the slide in said one direction and movable into braking engagement with the brake drum upon movement of the slide in the opposite direction, a drive member secured to said drive shaft, a housing about said drive member, a positive clutch means carried by the drive shaft, a positive clutch means on the driven shaft, said positive clutch means on said drive shaft engaging said drive housing and holding said drive shaft against longitudinal movement in one direction, said clutch drum engaging against said first housing and holding said drive shaft against longitudinal movement in the opposite direction.

2. In a car as set forth including a frame and wheels rotatably carried by the frame, a tubular drive shaft, a driven shaft rotatable within the drive shaft, means for rotating the wheels from the driven shaft, a housing disposed about the drive shaft adjacent one end, a friction clutch drum secured to the drive shaft and rotatable in the housing, clutch elements in the housing, a slide mounted on the driven shaft, means connecting the slide with the clutch elements to move the clutch elements into clutching position upon movement of the slide in one direction, movement of the slide in the opposite direction moving the clutch elements into disengaged position, a slide operating means, a brake drum in the housing concentric to the clutch drum and spaced therefrom, brake means carried by the clutch elements and movable into released position upon movement of the slide in said one direction and movable into braking engagement with the brake drum upon movement of the slide in the opposite direction, a drive member secured to said drive shaft, a housing about said drive member, positive clutch means carried by the drive shaft, a positive clutch means on the driven shaft, said positive clutch means on said drive shaft engaging said drive housing and holdagainst said first housing and holding said drive shaft against longitudinal movement in the opposite direction.

3. A driving means for a car comprising a hollow drive shaft, a driven shaft rotatable Within said drive shaft, a drum secured to one end of said drive shaft, a toothed head secured to the other end of said drive shaft, a fixed housing about the drum, a slide member splined to said driven shaft, a brake drum within said first drum and secured to said housing, segmental members within said housing and between each of said drums, friction elements on opposite sides of said segmental members, connecting means connecting said slide with said segmental members, a toothed slide member splined to said driven shaft and confronting said toothed head, operating means for said first slide, operating means for said second slide, a drive member secured to said drive shaft, a housing about said drive member, said toothed head engaging against said latter housing and holding the drive shaft against longitudinal movement in one direction, said first housing engaging against one face of said first drum and holding the drive shaft against longitudinal movement in the opposite direction.

JOE L. LEWIS 

